The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-12-24
OWLS AND THEIR WAYS.
a Hunter Discourses of a Curious
Kind of Game.

II was hunting partridge among the
Pennsylvania mountains" said we'll.
known sportsman, ''and was passing
cautiously along an old rsad leading
through deserted and grown-up clear
ing, when suddenly the report of gun,
unpleasantly near, came from the brush
on one side Of the road. A great rush
of fluttering wings followed the report,
and the next instant a horned owl. or
boot owl, fell dead almost at nv feet.
A moment later tall, gaunt, rough
clad, but intelligent-looking man made
his way through the brush, and stepped
out into the road. After recovering
from the surprise at seeing me there so
unexpectedly and apologizing for shoot
ing in such dangerous proximity to me,
he picked up the owl, examined it crit
icully and said:
IAN unusually fine specimen, and
one for which some collector will have
to pay well before he gets it
ANY one who has tramped much
through the woods knows how seldom
it is that he sees an owl of any descrip-
ton, and how equally rare it is to get
shot at a hawk, although many may
be seen. Imagine my surprise, there
fore, when the backwoodsman informed
me that he never went out cunning
without bagging three or four owls and
as many hawks.
But, then, there is a reason for it.
said the stranger. 4 hunt nothing but
owls and hawks, and, besides the profit
there is in it, strange rs it may seem to
you rs hunter of more approved
game. there is no sport more exciting.
There has been for many years great
demand for hawks and owls, regular
craze seeming to exist. until within
year or two past, for collecting speci-
mems Of these birds for mounting, and
the consequence has been that wise
hunters took up the business of supply
ing this demand, and am one of them.
"'There are two good reasons why
the everyday hunter seldom if ever
sees an owl in his tramps. One reason
Is that some owls can not see by day,
and therefore select hiding places
which render their discovery next to
impossible as person passes casually
through the woods. The other reason
is that there are some owls that see by
day as well as by night. These double
sighted birds discover the intruder on
their haunts long before he can possibly
see them, and they lose no time in seek
ing places of greater safety. 1t may be
news to you that there are owls whose
eyesight does not depend on darkness
to be of use, but it is Il fact nevertheless.
l believe that the screech owl, the long
cared owl and one or two other species
that l do not just now recall. are the
only members of the family that are
blinded or partially blinded by the
light of day The others, among them
the boot owl, the snowy owl, the hawk
owl, and the short-eared owl, are all
sharp-sighted, both by day and by
night. When you know how to hunt
owls it is no trouble to find them, for
they are to be found almost everywhere.
The short-eared owl is great field
mouse hunter in wheat or rye stubble.
He is among the first of the family of
winter owls that come down from the
north to forage In this latitude. OF all
the owls he gives the most sport to the
hunter. There is piece of wheat stub
BILE beyond this old clearing. / am al
a,t 10 30 n,,zl IS
these birds there, for they always hunt
in flocks, and don't think that stubble
has been disturbed by any hunter yet
this fall. If you would like to enjoy q
new sensation in hunting, walk along
with me and help me beat the stubble.'
81 was only too glad to be initiated
in this entirely new branch of cunning,
and l went with the laxative woods
man. The field was but short dis
lance away. The owl hunter stationed
me on one side of the field.
keep your dog by you,' said he,
for we don't want any dog to help us
in owl-hunting. Keep sharp eye out,
for you will be startled and surprised
when yon see how short-eared owl
Pushes
THE hunter, with his gun ready.
walked cautiously aboutin the stubbEe.
Presently three large birds arose from
the ground good gun-shot distance
from him. As white as ghosts and as
swift as shadows, they glided away. a
few feet above the stubble. The owl
hunter fred, and one of the birds fell l
was much nearer to them than he was,
but did not get shot, so quickly had the
strange birds appeared from out the
sIubble and so quickly flashed from out